Track instrument for railway signaling.



No. 738,906.- PATBNTED SEPT.15,1903.

- L. R, HUMMEL.

TRACK INSTRUMENT r03 RAILWAY SIGNALING.

APYLIOATION FILED AUG. 89, 1902.

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ms NORRIS wnzns c0 wo'm umo msmw o UNITED STATES Patented September 15,1903.

' PATENT OFFICE. A

LEWIS R. HUMMEL, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE ELECTRIC GATE AND SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEBRASKA.

TRACK INSTRUMENT FOR RAILWAY SIGNALING.

'SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,906, dated September 15, 1903.

Application filed August 29, 1902. $erial No. 121.493. (No model-l T aZZ whom, it may-concern:

Be it known that I,'LEWIS R. HUMMEL,a citizen of the United States,residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track Instruments for Railway Signaling; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to track instruments for railway signaling; and it is the object thereof to provide a simple and durable instrnment of this character which shall close an electrical circuit when a train passes over the same going in one direction, but which shall not close such circuit when a train passes over the same going in the opposite 2o direction.

An instrument embodying my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through 2 5 the instrument on the planes of the broken line a: 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the planes indicated by the broken line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane of the line z z of Fig. 1; and

0 Fig. 4 is a plan view of the electrical circuitmaking contacts, same being a partialsection on the plane of the line to w of Fig. 1.

In the construction shown a suitable casing 1, having the removable side 2 thereon,

5 is placed adjacent to the rail of a track, so that the wheels of a train passing over the track willextend over and pass above the portion of the casing nearest the rail.

The open top of the casing is covered by the wheel-engagingplates 3 and 4, which have on the under sides thereof the lugs 5, ex tending inside the casing. The said lugs 5 are connected to the ends of the casing and the block 6 at the central partthereof by pins 7, thus pivoting the plates on the casing at the side thereof farthest from the rail. The edges 8 of the plates 3 and 4 extend over the sides of the casing and are preferably turned down over the same, thus preventing the entry into the casing of water and dirt. On; the side of the instrument nearest the rail the edges 9 of the plates are turned inward to engage with'the lug 10 on the casing. Coil-springs 11, held in position by pins 12 on the casing'and plates, normally press up,- ward the inner sides of the plates-71. 'e., the

sides nearest the rail-as far as permitted by the lug 10.

On the under side of the plate 3 and at the end thereof nearest the plate 4 are lugs 13, between which is pivoted the bent lever 24, one arm of which, 14, extends beneath the end of the plate 4 and the other arm, 15, ex-

tends downwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A small spring 16 presses against the arm 15 of the lever 24 and normally holds the arm 14 up against the plates 3 and 4.

On the side of the casing 1 and on the block 6 are blocks of insulating material 17, to which is secured the metallic contact-strip 18, the same extending diagonally across from one insulating-block to the other, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. On thebottom of the cas ing is an insulating-block 19, to which is secured the spring-contact 20, which extends upwardlyadjacent to the contact-strip 18 and between the same and the block 6.

Wires 21 and 22 are attached to the contacts 18 and 20 and extend outside the casing through the pipe 23 to any signaling apparatus with which the track instrument may be used.

The operation of the device is as follows: A train passing over the track in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. l, the wheels thereof engage with and tilt the plate 3 by depressing the inner side thereof against the tension of the spring 11. The tilting of the said plate throws the depending arm 15 of the lever 24 between the contact-pieces 18 and 20, thus closing the electrical circuit through the wires 21 and 22. The positions of theplate and lever when tilted are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The wheels of a train moving in the direction indicated by the arrow B, Fig. 1, tilt the plate 4 before reaching and tilting the plate 3. When the plate 4 is tilted and the inner side thereof depressed, the same pushes down the horizontal arm 14 of the lever 24, thus pushing the depending arm 15 against the tension of the spring 16 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The wheels then striking, tilting, and depressing the plate 3, the arm 15 instead of being pushed between the contacts 18 and 20 passes over and outside of the contact-strip 18, so that electrical connection is not made between 18 and 20, and the circuit remains open.

It is obvious that the mechanism described while presenting an effective means of accomplishing the objects hereinbefore set forth is exceedingly simple and having few moving parts is durable and not likely to be broken or disarranged. Itwill alsobe noted that the electricalconnections being made by rubbingsurfaces the contacts will be kept bright and clean and that the manner of inclosing the operating parts prevents access of injurious material thereto.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Ina railway signaling track instrument acasing, wheel-engaging plates pivoted thereon, a lever pivoted on one of said plates, an arm on said lever adapted to engage the terminals of an electrical circuit when the said plate is tilted, and asecond arm on said lever engaging with the other plate, the arrangethe lever is not pivoted, and the other arm of the lever being adapted to engage with the said contact-pieces when the plate carrying the lever is tilted before the other plate but not to engage said contact-pieces when the plate carrying the lever is tilted after the other plate.

3. Atrackinstrumentforrailway signaling comprising a casing, two wheel-engaging plates pivoted on said casing, overhanging edges on said plates extending over said casing, one of said edges engaging a lug on said casing, springs normally holding said edge against said lug, a lever pivoted on one of said plates and engaging with the other of said plates, a spring normally maintaining said engagement, and aportion of said lever adapted to engage the terminals of an electrical circuit when the plate carrying the lever is tilted.

4. Atrackinstrumentfor railway signaling comprising a casing, two wheel-engaging plates pivoted on the casing, a lug on the easing, edges on the plates engaging said lug, springs normally maintaining said engagement, contact-pieces forming the terminals of an electrical circuit, and a lever pivoted on one of the plates, engaging with the other of said plates and extending to a position adjacent to the said contact-pieces, the arrangement being such that a train passing overthe instrument in one direction will throw the lever into engagement with the contact-pieces while a train passing in the opposite direction will not cause such engagement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS R. HUMMEL. Witnesses:

HOWARD J. COWGILL, GEO. F. HANNITON. 

